Anchor

ABSTRACT

An anchor for embedding into a concrete slab and to which fittings may be secured. The anchor has a housing with an access opening and a base opening, a cover adapted to normally close off the base opening, a fastener carriage, a fastener held by the carriage, a carriage support and a cap. The fastener carriage, fastener, cap and carriage support may rotate as a unit relative to the housing and the fastener may move across the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed from Australian Provisional Patent Application No.PS0049 filed Jan. 21, 2002 and PCT Application No. PCT/AU03/00051 filedJan. 20, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an anchor which may be imbedded into aconcrete slab and to which fittings may be secured.

The invention will be described by way of example in relation to its usein a concrete wall but it should be appreciated that this is by way ofexample only and the slab may be a floor or ceiling.

BACKGROUND ART

In the construction of concrete buildings wall slabs are either cast insitu or prefabricated and there is a need for attaching fittings such assteel framework or the like to the wall to allow the building to beconstructed.

Anchors of a variety of types are imbedded into the slab by beingpositioned and fixed relative to reinforcement prior to the pouring ofthe concrete for making the slab. A face of the anchor is locatedagainst formwork used in the slab construction. Once the slab has curedthe formwork may be removed to expose the anchors to have fittings to besecured to them.

It is essential that the anchors be accurately positioned at desiredlocations in the resultant slab. Some anchors are able to be adjusted sothat slight misalignment or mis-positioning can be tolerated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an anchor which may form aviable alternative to the anchors mentioned above.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an anchor forimbedding into a concrete slab and to which fittings may be secured, theanchor having:

-   -   a housing with an access opening and a base opening;    -   a cover adapted to normally close off the base opening of the        housing;    -   a fastener carriage;    -   a fastener held by the carriage;    -   a carriage support and a cap whereby the fastener carriage, the        fastener, the cap and the carriage support may rotate as a unit        relative to the housing and in addition the fastener and the        fastener carriage may move across the housing.

The housing may have any desired peripheral shape and has at least oneperipheral wall. The housing may have a circular peripheral shape andthe peripheral wall may be substantially cylindrical although this isnot essential.

The housing has a base opening and an access opening spaced from thebase opening. Preferably the access opening is formed by a return wallprojecting inwardly from the or each peripheral wall. Where theperipheral wall is circular in shape, the return wall may have anannular appearance.

The housing may have at least one anchor portion for allowing thehousing to be secured to reinforcement normally forming part of the slabin which it is embedded. Preferably, two anchor portions are present.The anchor portions may comprise lugs extending outwardly of thehousing. Where the housing has a circular peripheral wall, the lugs mayextend outwardly from the wall at diametrically spaced locations on thewall.

The anchor includes a cover. The cover normally seals the base openingof the housing. The cover is preferably formed as a part separate fromthe housing and is fitted to the housing to close off the base opening.The cover, where the peripheral wall of the housing is circular is alsocircular in shape and has an outwardly extending flange which may locaterelative to the housing. Preferably the flange is received within thehousing and closely adjacent an inner surface of the peripheral wall ofthe housing. The cover preferably has two concentric part cylindricalflanges which receive the wall of the housing between them.

The cover has a main panel from which the flanges may extend. Ifdesired, one or more spacing projection may be present on the panel andlocated inwardly of the inner most flange. The or each spacingprojection serve to the carriage support slightly from the main panel ofthe cover.

The anchor has a cap which is located relative to the housing andadjacent the access opening. The cap is located within the housing andpartially closes off the access opening. It is preferred that the caphas a lip which locates relative to the underside of the return wall.

The cap preferably has a slot extending part way across it. The slot mayhave arcuate ends although this is not necessary.

The anchor has a carriage support. The support may have spacedupstanding opposed side flanges for receiving the fastener carriage andfor guiding movement of the fastener carriage across the support.Preferably the support is substantially U shaped and has a wallextending between the opposed side flanges. The way may have a slot.

The fastener carriage may be substantially U shaped with a connectingwall and opposed side arms. Outer faces of the side arms may be shapedor have flat profiles for engaging the opposed flanges of the carriagesupport. In this way the fastener carriage is free to move along thesupport but is held against rotation relative to the support by theopposed flanges on the support.

The support may be provided by outwardly projecting flanges extendingfrom the cap and towards the fastener carriage. The carriage support inthis embodiment is formed integrally with the cap. Preferably twodiametrically opposed flanges are present.

In an alternative embodiment the carriage support is formed as adiscrete component.

The support when provided as a discrete component, has locating membersfor engagement with the cap to ensure that the cap, the support and thefastener carriage held between them may rotate as a unit within thehousing. The locating members are present as fingers projecting from theflanges on the support and the cap is provided with locating recessesfor receiving the fingers. If desired, fingers may project from the capand the flanges may have locating recesses.

The fastener is received by the fastener carriage and is held againstrotation relative to the fastener carriage. In a preferred embodiment,the fastener is a threaded nut. In that embodiment the fastener carriagehas an aperture through which a bolt may project to mate with the nut.Alternatively, the fastener may be a bolt with the head of the boltbeing received between the side arms of the fastener carriage and heldagainst rotation and with the shank of the bolt extending outwardlythrough the aperture in the fastener carriage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A particular preferred embodiment of the anchor of the invention willnow be described by way of example with reference to the drawings inwhich.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an anchor according to an embodiment ofthe invention; and,

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the anchor of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an anchor according to another embodimentof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The anchor 10 has a cylindrical body 12 with an annular inwardlydirected return wall 11 defining an access opening 15. The opposite endof the body is open. Anchor portions 13, 14 project outwardly fromdiametrically opposed locations of the body 12.

The anchor 10 includes a cap 20, a fastener carriage 30, a fastener 40,a carriage support 50 and a cover 60.

The cap 20 has raised portions 23, 24 which are received within opening15. A flange or lip 26 extends around the portions 23, 24 and preventsthe cap 20 from passing through the opening 15. A channel 22 is presentbetween portions 23, 24 and a slot 21 is located within the channel 22.

The cap 20 has recesses 25 formed in the lip 26. Four such recesses arepresent arranged in pairs on opposed sides of the cap.

Fastener carriage 30 is U shaped and has a connecting wall with anaperture 31 extending through it.

The carriage 30 has legs 33, 34 with outer flattened faces. The carriage30 has a cavity 32 for receiving fastener 40 in such a way that itprevents rotation of the fastener 40 relative to the carriage 30.

Carriage support 50 has side flanges 52 and 53 extending from aconnecting wall 57. The flattened sides of legs 33, 34 engage againstthe inner surfaces of flanges 52 and 53, such that the carriage is freeto move along the support 50 but cannot rotate relative to it. A slot 51is formed in the wall 57.

The support 50 has fingers 54 and 55 which project from the flanges 52,53 and engage with recesses 25 in the cap 20 so that in the assembledcondition the cap 20 retains the carriage 30 and the fastener 40 betweenit and the support 50 as a unit free to rotate within the body 12.

A cover 60 closes off the bottom of the body 12 once the other parts arepositioned within the body. The cover has a main panel 62 from whichextends an upwardly directed circular flange 61. The flange is receivedwithin the body 12 and hold the cover relative to the body. Two partcircular flanges 64, 63 also extend from the panel 62. If desired, thepanel 62 may have one or more spacing formations formed on it whichserve to space the underside of wall 57 from the panel to provideclearance between wall 57 and panel 62. This allows the shank of a blot,which engages with fastener 40, to project slightly beyond the undersideof the wall 57.

The anchor 70 of FIG. 3 has a cylindrical body 71 with an annularinwardly directed return wall 72 defining an access opening 73. Theopposite end of the body 71 is open. Anchor portions 74, 75 projectoutwardly from diametrically opposed locations of the body 71.

The anchor 70 includes a cap 80, a fastener carriage 90, a fastener 100and a cover 110.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the carriage support is integrally formedwith the cap 80 and consists of two (only one of which is visible) legs81. The fastener carriage 90 is received between these legs 81 and isable to move relative to the flanges and in the direction of thelongitudinal axis through slot 82 in the cap 80.

The cap 80 has raised portions 83, 84 and a lip 85 extending aroundportion 83 and 84. The underside of the cap 80 in the region between thelegs 81 has grooves 86 formed extending between the flanges 81.

The carriage 90 has legs 91 and 92 between which the fastener 100 may bereceived and retained against rotation relative to the carriage 90. Anaperture 93 extends through the carriage and provides access to thefastener 100. An upper surface of the carriage 90 has grooves 94. Thesegrooves 94 are normally out of engagement with grooves 86 so that thecarriage is free to move along the direction of the slot 82. Once thecarriage is in its desired position relative to cap 80 and a bolt or thelike is engaged with fastener 100 and tightened, the carriage 90 isdrawn into engagement with the cap 80 and held at a desired locationwhen grooves 86 and 94 engage with each other.

A cover 110 closes off the end of the body 71 opposite opening 73. Thecover is a plug received within the base opening.

In use the anchor is secured to reinforcement by ties or the likesecured to portions 13, 14 (or 74 and 75). Access opening 15 & 73) maybe closed off by an adhesive patch. Formwork used in the casting of aslab may be placed against the anchor abutting wall 11. Concrete maythen be poured and allowed to cure with the anchor embedded within theresultant slab. The formwork may then be removed and the adhesive patchremoved to expose opening 15 (73). A bolt may then be used to attachfittings to the anchor. The anchor allows for adjustments to ensure thatthe fittings are located at desired positions relative to the slab. Thefastener carriage is free to move from side to side and in addition theunit referred to previously is adopted to rotate relative to the body 12(71).

1. An anchor for imbedding into a concrete slab and to which fittingsmay be secured, the anchor having: a housing with an access opening anda base opening; a cover adapted to normally close off the base openingof the housing; a fastener carriage; a fastener held by the carriage; acarriage support and a cap whereby the fastener carriage, the fastener,the cap and the carriage support may rotate as a unit relative to thehousing and in addition the fastener and the fastener carriage may befree to move across the housing.
 2. The anchor of claim 1 wherein thehousing is cylindrical in shape.
 3. The anchor of claim 1 wherein thehousing has an access opening spaced from a base opening to the housing.4. The anchor of claim 3 wherein the access opening is provided by areturn wall projecting inwardly of a peripheral wall of the housing. 5.The anchor of claim 1 having at least one anchor portion projectingoutwardly of the housing.
 6. The anchor of claim 3 the cover whichnormally seals off the base opening comprises a plug received within thebase opening.
 7. The anchor of claim 1 wherein the cap within thehousing is adjacent to the access opening.
 8. The anchor of claim 7wherein the cap has a lip which locates relative to an edge of theunderside of the access opening.
 9. The anchor of claim 7 or 8 whereinthe cap has a slot extending part way across it.
 10. The anchor of claim9 wherein the slot in the cap has accurate ends.
 11. The anchor of claim7 including the carriage support is provided by opposed spaced flangesextending outwardly from an underside of the cap.
 12. The anchor ofclaim 11 including grooves on the underside of the cap and extendingbetween the opposed flanges.
 13. The anchor of claim 1 wherein thefastener carriage has opposed spaced legs between which the fastener isreceived and held against rotation relative to the fastener carriage.14. The anchor of claim 13 wherein the fastener carriage has an uppersurface with grooves.
 15. The anchor of claim 14 including an aperturethrough the upper surface of the fastener carriage.